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by trevorcarbin on 25 September, 2018
The triangular patch of land at the southern tip of Staverton parish was allocated for housing as part of the original Marina development, but has remained as green field because of the difficulty of access.
Now an outline application has been put in. It’s for the “erection of 75 (C3) houses and flats including affordable (siting for approval); new access from Blackthorn Way (for approval); new vehicular bridge over Staverton Brook; retained and improved existing footpath (STAV2) and existing footbridge over brook (unchanged alignment); hard and soft landscaping including at least 60 trees and other related works. Land 20m to west of Staverton Triangle (2.195 ha) – proposed Widbrook Wildlife Meadow (management by local wildlife trust/group).”
There are more details on the WC website here . You can also enter your objections. The published deadline for comments is Friday October 12th.
I’ve ‘called in’ the application. That means it can’t be permitted by council officers but has to go to the planning committee. However if the planners wanted to refuse it then they could do so without it going to committee.
Here’s Staverton Parish Council’s response:
“The Access Road is totally unsuitable for the size of the development with a minimum of 142 parking places. This is a pinch point from a road which is already congested. This access also floods easily.
Insufficient parking has been allocated and residents are concerned that visitors to this area will spill over onto Blackthorn Way which has limited parking spaces.
Staverton is heavily congested at peak times and it is feared that additional traffic from this area will cause further misery for those already having to travel through Staverton.
Major concerns have been raised concerning the removal of mature trees from this area and indeed the Parish Council raised concerns with Wiltshire Council Enforcement Agency that the landowner was clearing the land and not protecting local wildlife. The application states that some trees will be removed and replaced by others but developers usually plant ornamental trees which would not support the wildlife already there.
The Parish Council cannot support this application with a single access off Blackthorn Way. An alternative access such as a bridge over the canal needs to be provided.
No new facilities have been provided for so many additional residents who will need places in our already over- subscribed local primary school.
Concerns have also been raised that there could be problems with connections to the sewers in this area.”
2 Comments
I believe the difficulty in access remains! Interestingly, the plans have no mention as to the traffic impact on an already congested area, I imagine because no one is interested as it does not affect them. Blackthorn Way access is not the answer – given the number of children who play in the road around here its only a matter of time before one is seriously injured, not to mention the volume of traffic which will be moving up and down what is effectively a one way road.
The proposed bridge is not really a bridge. It is a road with a surface at the level of Blackthorn Way and the structure will extend almost to the brook, which is classified as a major river. This is more accurately a road structure with a culvert. Also the proposed road bulldozes through Public Open Space that was designated as such as part of the previous development. I believe that it therefore belongs to the council – not the developer. If Public Open Space can be built on, then the proposed wildlife area within this application can, at some point in the future, also be built on. Public Open Space would therefore have no meaning and makes a mockery of the planning process.
I shall be writing a significant objection to this proposed development.